


the melancholy of summer

by esnoyuuutsu



Series: stage plays set to the light of the moon [2]
Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, alice mugi and chikage appear for like two seconds each, august is only really in july's memories but that's fine, in case anyone expected me to do anything else, yukishiro conspiracy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-08 02:04:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21227981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esnoyuuutsu/pseuds/esnoyuuutsu
Summary: July isn't fond of plays, or mystery novels, but what is he supposed to do? Just leave that theatre alone? Of course not.[ scarlet mirror spoilers even though yes this is set during mystery i'm sorry ]





	the melancholy of summer

**Author's Note:**

> me, pointing at chikage: you're just like your mom you fool

Mankai Theatre.

July had it on good authority that this was the theatre April frequented, and so very likely December's current location. Not that he would know if either of them were there, but he may as well take a look to satisfy his curiosity.

Their currently running play was mystery-themed, starring Arisugawa Homare and Mikage Hisoka. Appropriate enough, thought July, another mystery to distract himself from the one he already lived in.

He examined the posters plastered on the walls under Now Showing, a white-haired man grinning back at him. There was a spark of familiarity to July, but whether or not it was coincidence remained to be seen.

Taking a quick glance around, feeling around for no imminent danger, he handed over his ticket, and entered the theatre.

Once he saw Tojo Shiki, played by that white-haired man, walking onstage, July was sure that he was December. He bore only a passing resemblance to the figure from that night, carrying himself differently and speaking differently, but something about him screamed of August's child.

The plot was typical mystery novel fare, the protagonist finding an innocent pretty girl horribly murdered in her own home. A problem, however, arose once the suspects were introduced.

"My sister was kind and good-natured...I can't think of anyone who would have done this to her."

The victim's older brother, Kusanagi Shizuma, clicked something in July's mind. His languid movements, the soft inflection of his speech, how he turned to the audience, showing his eyes  _ that were the same ones July would see in the mirror every day. _

There were whispers in the audience, from regulars at the theatre, about how his actor's hair had been cut short— _ those _ eyes, shining behind a curtain of long white hair?

"Azuma-san looks really different…" "He's pretty in a ponytail but this is so good too!"

July's head ached, as if it were about to split in two. He gripped the armrest, the faint creak of the seat grating at his ears.

As Shiki began to walk up to Shizuma, his pale fluffy cloud of hair no longer seemed that of the boy tossed into the ocean that night, but of August himself—his bangs falling over his foolishly innocent eyes looking up at July, only losing their light the day he died.

"The most surprising meetings happen in unexpected places, do they not, Tojo-kun?"

"Quite. I think you and I are going to get along well, Kusanagi-kun."

The two of them shook hands, Shiki unsuspecting and bright, Shizuma cryptic and reserved.

_ "Our names are consecutive, so we're going to be seeing a lot of each other, huh?" _

_ "I'm not sure that's how it works." _

_ "Well, we can still be friends, right, July?" _

  
  


Over the next few scenes, it soon became clear that the culprit was Shizuma—from the only other suspect, the victim's fiance, merely being a cheating flirt looking for money, to Shiki's butler pointing out that if he was not the murderer, there was nobody else it could be but Shizuma.

"It was you, wasn't it, Kusanagi-kun."

The look in Shiki's eye was a familiar one—sorrow at a perceived betrayal from a mistaken sense of kinship. Only he had thought the two of them were friends, and it was his own fault that he now suffered at the hands of the truth. Like father, like son, thought July, in a moment of morbid amusement.

But Shizuma's sharp, bitter smile as he confessed his crime cut into July's chest.

The culprit being an older brother who murdered his younger sibling was completely abhorrent to July. He had no family, he was not August, but a character  _ like that  _ being played by a man who had  _ his _ eyes—how could he have July's eyes? How was that possible?—turned his stomach.

Worse yet was the fact that he could understand the motive. Shizuma had found the true nature of his sister's fiance, and warned her. Keeping her from a mockery of love, a lie in the shape of a family, had he not been well-intentioned? And when she didn't listen to him, did that not leave him without another choice?

Some people brought their own fate upon themselves, thought July.

"My only miscalculation was you, Shiki-san."

"...I thought we could have been good friends, Kusanagi-kun."

July stared up at the stage, at Shizuma's delicately pained expression.

Was this the same face he had made, that night, the consequences of his actions lying before him in the form of August's motionless body?

As Shizuma walked off into the wings, into the shadows, July wondered if that was the only end there could be for them.

In the final scene, what could only be described as a reminder of who was billed as the lead in the play, Shiki's butler explained his own reasoning.

"Perhaps rather than be wed to an unwanted suitor, Miss Kusanagi chose to die at the hands of her beloved brother."

"What do you mean?"

What  _ did  _ he mean?

Somehow, July was seething. He was never one for theatre, despite August's insistence on the importance of local culture wherever they went, but one single play had struck a discordant note in the depths of his brain.

As much as he unfortunately felt that Shizuma's motive was not at all unwarranted, the implication in what was clearly meant to be the conclusion to the play was—what, exactly?

Surely, the writer didn't mean to say what July thought they were?

From the sound of the audience's applause and cheers, nobody else found the ending strange, so was it only July who was rubbed the wrong way?

Why that was, he wasn't sure. Even if he found a character in a play alarmingly similar to himself right down to the actor, there was no need for him to take it so personally. After all, he may not have been the best sibling, but he did his best as an older brother—

—as...?

The chattering of the audience began to drill into July's brain, the stage lights dazzling his eyes.

He couldn't remember.

The cast took their bows, two heads of pure white hair shimmering together, exactly as he and—

— _ ? _

Dazed, heart pounding in his throat, July managed to put one foot in front of the other, wandering out of the theatre.

A rustling against his chest woke him up. Its source, a bouquet of bright golden yellow flowers clasped in the hands of a theatregoer.

Who was that?

Everyone was beginning to look strangely familiar to July, it seemed, his mind uselessly filling in blanks with anyone he saw. Apologising briefly, he stepped away, his earrings tinkling softly.

As he walked off, the marigolds swayed in April’s grasp.

**Author's Note:**

> uhhh yeah remember when i wrote aprilkun pov sympathy based off esute and said "hey i might do mystery too for some headcanons lol" so those hcs got thrown out the window once august got a face during risky game, bUT scarlet mirror allowed me to bring the fic idea back, but worse.
> 
> "ame if july was there during mystery and figured out who dec was why did he wait--" bc he's an idiot. that's canon. (no
> 
> thanks for reading i wrote this in one sitting at school. if u wanna yell at me i'm esnoyuuutsu on twitter !


End file.
